SportsNet - August 2012

Two of the most historied college football programs square off for the fourth time ever on Saturday night.

No. 2 Alabama takes on No. 8 Michigan at Cowboy Stadium. It is the only game this Saturday that features two ranked teams. To make it even sweeter, these two teams have a good chance of playing in the BCS National Championship. The loser of this game could see those title hopes go out the window. This is a must-win game for both teams to get a signature win on their resume.

This is the 2012 version of Oregon vs. LSU. The Tigers gained a ton of momentum after their signature win in the season opener against the Ducks in 2011.

Alabama and Michigan are hoping to do the same.

Alabama has to reload after losing 11 starters from last years team.

Trent Richardson, Marquis Maze, and Brad Smelley are all gone. Richardson was a Heisman finalist last year and was the sixth leading rusher in the nation.

Maze, Smelley, and Richardson were the top three receivers for the Crimson Tide last year.

They say that when a manager does not fancy you any longer then it is time to move on. History is littered with players who have tried to stay in these circumstances, only to become more frustrated at watching their value dwindle and their careers suffer. Brendan Rodgers has made it clear that, despite the positive attitude he has shown in training, he just does not fancy Andy Carroll.

Rodgers confirmed yesterday that, having added three new faces to the squad, Liverpool are now in a position where they need to sell to buy. This only makes matters worse for Andy Carroll as he is seen as one of the few expendable, saleable assets at the club.

Last year, without former Pro Bowl Safety Nick Collins back deep, the Packers' secondary gave up a lot of big plays through the air and on the ground as a result of poor tackling.

Now, with Nick Collins gone for good, and Charles Woodson the starting safety in the base defense, the Packers are still searching for one of their young, unproven safeties to seperate themselves from the group. So far, the likes of the group, which includes early favorite M.D. Jennings, fourth round pick Jerron McMillian out of Maine, and former undrafted third year safety Anthony Levine, have all seen time with the first team, but have not done enough to be deemed the starter.

Following the Baltimore Ravens' third preseason game, a question began to surface on local blogs and radio waves: What is this “sugar” huddle? Brian Billick, former head coach of the Ravens, was one of the analysts calling the Ravens-Jaguars preseason game. He used the term sugar huddle multiple times during the broadcast to reference the Ravens new look on offense.

The sugar huddle, a variation of the no huddle offense, earned the name on the ground that it is “short and sweet.” A twist on the no huddle, the sugar huddle allows for more explicit communication while maintaining a pace that keeps the defense on its heels. The offensive line sets up and turns its back to the line of scrimmage to get the call from the quarterback. The receivers and backs turn to the sideline for the call. In this way, the sugar huddle doesn't necessarily rely as heavily on the quarterback's discretion as a pure Peyton Manning-style no huddle.

Any football fan can clearly see it. Smell it. They can even taste it.

That's right. Football season has returned once again, and not a moment too soon. For the first time in quite a while, at least five rookie quarterbacks will be starting: Andrew Luck for the Indinapolis Colts, Robert Griffin III (RG3) for the Washington Redskins, Ryan Tannehill for the Miami Dolphins, Brandon Weeden for the Cleveland Browns, and Russell Wilson for the Seattle Seahawks.

All were very proficent and high profile quarterbacks in college, with each of them having their own unique skill sets, whether it be RG3's athleticism and strong arm, Luck or Weeden's arm, or Wilson's decision making and ability despite his height.

But despite all their talents, these teams are starting these rookies because that's the best way for them to move forward, and it's the only option they have to win games at this point. But out of all five, which one may be most likely to be the bust?